The Chicago Bears knew going into 2024 that they needed more help with the pass rush. GM Ryan Poles wanted to bring in four-time Pro Bowler Matthew Judon, who was in the middle of a contract dispute with the New England Patriots. Negotiations got close, but in the end, the Atlanta Falcons made a stronger offer, flipping a 3rd round pick for him. Chicago opted to trade for Darrell Taylor from Seattle instead. Neither move ended up working out well for either team. Judon had only 5.5 sacks, his lowest total in a full season since 2016.
After Atlanta acquired two young pass rushers in the draft, it became evident they were ready to move on from the 32-year-old. Since then, Judon has waited for his next opportunity. According to Albert Breer, it sounds like the Bears might be willing to revisit their interest from last season.
“They’ll get a look at D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson at running back, and Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo (who plays some inside on passing downs) on the edges when the pads go on, and then maybe consider guys such as Jamaal Williams at running back or Za’Darius Smith or Matthew Judon as edge rushers.”
There is no question that Judon is eager to show everybody that what happened last year wasn't his fault. During a radio interview on 92.9 The Game, he said Atlanta's coaching staff didn't use him properly, and it had nothing to do with his health or bad luck.
“Hell naw. If you go look at the film, I dropped (into coverage) on 60% of the plays. It’s hard to get a pick and a sack on the same play.”
The Chicago Bears should consider Judon.
He may not be the full-time player he was a few years ago. That said, he demonstrated last season that he can still find a groove. Four of the 5.5 sacks he had came in the final seven games. It suggests he'd overcome the jitters from his long layoff after the season-ending injury in 2023 and was back to hunting quarterbacks. History shows that he is at his best when he gets around 400 rushes in a season. His three best statistical seasons came in the only three years that happened. Dennis Allen is a smart defensive coordinator. He should be able to manufacture around 23 rushes per game, which is the average necessary to reach that total. The Chicago Bears will likely give us an answer to this question within the next two weeks. Judon will want to be on a roster by training camp.
